Role of Technology in Crime Detection and Control in Urban Areas: the Case of Closed-circuit Television (Cctv) in Nairobi City

Abstract

The high crime rate in urban areas has necessitated the implementation of various strategies to detect and control crimes. One of the widely used electronic tools for crime prevention and detection is the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, which enables the identification of the perpetrators of criminal acts. The main objective of this study was to examine the role of CCTV technology in crime detection and control. The study was based on technological determinism and situational crime prevention theories. The study employed a mixed-method approach by generating both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were obtained through a survey questionnaire, while the qualitative data were gathered through key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The study employed a cross-sectional design and targeted CCTV operators in Kenya's Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). Quantitative data were obtained through an interview schedule from a sample of 276 CCTV operators selected using stratified random sampling. The operators included business owners, security officials, and staff specifically employed to operate CCTV in different buildings. The data was analyzed through SPSS. Additional qualitative data were collected from 20 key informants, who were police officers guarding the major buildings in the CBD and managers of major businesses. Tables with the frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and variance were used to convey the findings of the descriptive statistics study of the quantitative data. A thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data obtained from the open-ended questions. The study found that CCTV had significantly contributed to crime control in Nairobi city. It was revealed that CCTV recorded all criminal activities around the buildings where they were installed and deterred criminals from engaging in crime for fear of being identified. The study concluded that the installation of CCTV cameras in major buildings in the Nairobi CBD had a positive impact of controlling crime in the city. This could be attributed to the fact that CCTV provided evidence of criminal activities, prevented criminals from committing crimes, and enhanced the accuracy of criminal investigations. The presence of CCTV cameras also acted as a deterrent to potential offenders, leading to a reduction in crime rates. Moreover, CCTV improved the success rate of prosecutions by providing physical evidence. According to the study, building managers in the Nairobi CBD should install additional CCTV cameras and make sure they are of a good caliber so that any offenders may be easily identified. The report suggests integrating CCTV with additional technologies, like facial and license plate recognition